Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-10-12
INTERVIEWED.
Hon. T. E. Collins Gives the General
Results of the Special Session
The Castle Mountain

1 Results OF the Special session
The Castle Mountain
Mines.
| "What were the best results of the spec
| fal session." TRIBUNE representative
| asked the Hon. T. e. Collins who is in
| own for the first time since the close OF
| the session.
"Well, as you know" Mr.. Collins rep1i-
ed 1.-The session was called to amend some
bills rather than pass new ones, but on
the whole, consider that the legislature
did well and proved that Gov. Leslie was
fully warranted in calling us together.
We amended ten acts and repealed prac-
tically the bounty law, which had depleted
the treasury and was likely te place our
finances in disorder. We also rendered
the revenue law clear and Ineligible,
thereby removing all obstacles to the col
lection of taxes and placing our own COM
mercial travellers on the same basis as
those from other statesSWho need pay no
license tax. The act for the incorpora-
tion of cities was also amended to remove
the objections of some cities which are
changes put more power i'll the hands of
the voters and reduce that of the city au-
thorities. The mechanics lien law was
amended in the interests of labor, and the
tree planting act was modified so as to
make arbor day occur earlier In the year.
"These," continued Mr. Collins, "were
the principal amendments that we made
in the laws. The changes were all need
ed and in themselves would have warrant
ed an extra session. The new bills in
cluded the one to define the qualifications
OF voters in incorporated cities. This bill
which was in the interest Of popular
rights removes the restraints introduced
in some city charters, and upholds the
privileges of citizenship.
"Rut the bill which created the most in.
terest and caused the liveliest fight was
that to form Cascade county. The mem
bers of the council saw readily the utility
of the bill and passed it by large major
itv. When it went to the house, some op-
position sprang up on the part of the Hell
ena Board of Trade and of some mal-con-
tents at Benton, but all this did not avail
when the house saw that the bill had be-
come necessary, owing to the growth of
population here and the other places that
have been annexed to the new county.
ut needed" added the councilman,
smiling, "only one more letter from that
brilliant writer and monumental falsifier
at Sun River to pass the bill unanimous
ly.'
Regarding the general state of the ter
ritery, Mr.. Collins says that the members
from all counties brought favorable re-
ports. The mining, grazing and business
interests are all in good condition. The
ranch owners are recovering steadily from
last winters losses, and throughout the
territory people are full of pluck and en-
terpr Sc. The new railroads are giving a
strong impulse to northern Montana
which will be felt in full force later on."
While at White Sulphur Springs on his
way homeward, Mr.. Collins visited the
mining camp in the Castle Mountains. He
says that the new camp is on the east side
of the mountain and that more or less
work has been done ON six mines. There
are also some promising prospects. The
ores are chiefly galena and earbonates,
which yiel from $50 to $40 per ton. The
mineral belt is about nine miles long and
near by are me coal beds which are said
to yield good coking coal. 1t is claimed
that the silver deposits are true contact
veins, but that remains to be determined.
Mr.. Collins has not been carried away by
the wild reports of great treasure in these
mines. He considers that the mines at
Neihart and in theBelt mountain districts,
all of which are tributary to Great Falls,
will prove very productive when new rail-
roads afford ample facilities for their de-
velopment.
Referring to the projected reduction
works here Mr.. Collins said: .sThe time
is ripe for the establishment here of re-
duction works like those in Denver.
Such works will provide ready market
for the ores of Neihart, Barker and
those mines in Red mountain dis
trict in which Mr.. Hill and Col
Broadwater are interested. Our trunk
and branch railroads, coal and WATERPROOF
er render our position stronger than that of
Denver, which is remote from the most
productive mining camps
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